Agriculture: Animal Feed

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether searches undertaken under a warrant granted under the Feed (Hygiene and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3280) are governed by the rules of the code of practice of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

Lord Warner: The Feed (Hygiene and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3280) provide for the execution and enforcement of animal feed legislation. Regulation 24 includes a power of entry to premises by authorised officers so that they can exercise their statutory powers of inspection, sampling of animal feed and examination of records. The exercise of these powers by authorised officers is not dependent on the existence of grounds for suspecting that an offence may have been committed, and is therefore not governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Code of Practice B by virtue of paragraph 2.5, which states that the code does not apply to powers of this type.

Agriculture: Funding

Lord Elystan-Morgan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the money allocated from the science budget to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is to be distributed between (a) the English Research Institute; (b) the Institute of Food Research; (c) Rothamsted Research; (d) the John Innes Centre; (e) the Babraham Institute; (f) the Institute for Animal Health; (g) the Scottish Roslin Institute; and (h) the Welsh Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in each of the financial years between 2005 and 2008.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The BBSRC received an increased level of funding from the science budget following the 2004 spending review. Its initial allocation was £336.186 million in 2005-06, £371.644 million in 2006–07 and £381.829 million in 2007–08. BBSRC overall funding to its sponsored institutes will rise by over £11 million per annum on its 2005–06 baseline by 2008–09.
	In 2005–06 BBSRC sponsored eight UK institutes: the Babraham Institute, the Institute for Animal Health, the Institute of Food Research, the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, the John Innes Centre, the Roslin Institute, Rothamsted Research and Silsoe Research Institute. BBSRC does not fund an "English research institute". Silsoe Research Institute will close at the end of 2005–06. The latest figures for funding allocated to individual institutes are as follows:
	
		
			  2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 
			 Institute (£) (£) (£) (£) 
			 Babraham Institute 10,485,000 11,404,000 12,068,000 12,485,000 
			 Institute for Animal   Health (IAH) 9,233,000 12,013,000 11,773,000 11,773,000 
			 Institute of Food 
			 Research (IFR) 9,558,000 9,845,000 9,842,000 9,842,000 
			 Institute of 
			 Grassland and 
			 Environmental 
			 Research (IGER) 
			  5,133,000 5,287,000 5,282,000 5,282,000 
			 John Innes Centre 
			 (JIC) 12,291,000 12,784,000 13,276,000 13,633,000 
			 Roslin Institute (RI) 4,346,000 4,476,000 4,473,000 4,473,000 
			 Rothamsted 
			 Research (RRes) 
			  11,723,000 12,075,000 12,068,000 12,068,000 
			 Silsoe Research 
			 Institute (SRI) 2,870,000 0 0 0 
		
	
	These figures do not include funding allocated for the management change programme, the New Blood Fellowship Fund, BBSRC KT strategic grants or the Charities Partnership Fund, which will total £1,600,000 in 2006–07, £2,600,000 in 2007–08 and £2,900,000 in 2008–09. Nor do they include BBSRC response mode grants awarded to individual investigators in institutes or technical reductions relating to pension provision and IT services provision.

Arthritis: Infliximab

Lord St John of Fawsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether patients with severe arthritis being treated under the National Health Service are eligible for the drug infliximab.

Lord Warner: In March 2002 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that infliximab may be given as part of the management of active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients who have not responded adequately to conventional treatments. Health bodies are obliged to fund, from general allocations, this treatment for those who meet the clinical guidelines set by NICE.

Cancer: Bowel

Baroness Hayman: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to raise public awareness of bowel cancer and the national bowel cancer screening programme generally, and in particular in ethnic minority and hard-to-reach communities; and
	What steps they are taking to maximise the efficiency of existing bowel cancer treatment capacity in advance of the rollout of the national bowel cancer screening programme; and
	When the Department of Health's central budgets for 2006–07 will be finalised and an announcement made on funding for the April 2006 rollout of the national bowel cancer screening programme; and
	What steps they are taking to ensure that testing kits will be made available for use by April 2006 for the rollout of the national bowel cancer screening programme.

Lord Warner: The Government have stated their commitment to a national bowel cancer screening programme. On 30 January 2006, the new health White Paper Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services reaffirmed that the programme will be rolled out from April 2006. Further details will be provided as soon as possible.
	NHS cancer screening programmes are taking all the action necessary to ensure the successful roll-out of the programme, including the procurement of testing kits. Following a formal tendering exercise, a preferred provider of the testing kits has been selected. An order will be placed for the delivery of kits in time for the commencement of the programme.
	The NHS bowel cancer screening pilot showed that screen-detected cancers had no detrimental effect on routine bowel cancer services.
	Training in endoscopy (bowel scoping) is vital to the diagnosis of bowel cancer. To prepare for the bowel cancer screening programme, we have built on the training established as part of the NHS Cancer Plan. A national training programme has been established, with three national and seven regional centres, to train medical staff, general practitioners, nurses and other health professionals to carry out vital procedures for diagnosing bowel cancer. By increasing the pool of staff able to undertake endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures, waiting times will be reduced and services made more convenient.
	Based on current trends and definitions the training programme is projected to deliver 217 newly trained non-medical endoscopists and 1,353 medical endoscopists by 2006–07.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) produced updated guidance, Improving Outcomes in Colorectal Cancers, in May 2004. This guidance is aimed at helping those involved in planning, commissioning, organising and providing bowel cancer services to ensure that services are configured to ensure appropriate high quality services. Implementation of NICE guidance is a developmental standard as set out in National Standards, Local Action, published in July 2004. The Healthcare Commission is responsible for assessing progress of healthcare organisations towards achieving developmental standards.
	A Bowel Cancer Communications Group was set up in 2005 to discuss communications with the public when the bowel cancer screening programme begins. The voluntary sector, patient groups, researchers, NHS cancer screening programmes and the NHS cancer screening programmes press office are all represented on the group. The group is considering all aspects of communications, including reaching ethnic minorities, people from deprived areas and hard-to-reach groups.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a race equality impact assessment was made on the proposals set out in the White Paper preceding the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights; and, if so, whether it can be made available for public access.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A race equality impact assessment was made on the proposals set out in the White Paper preceding the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. The race equality impact assessment is available on the Women and Equality Unit (WEU) public website at www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/cehr/equality–bill.htm. It is listed as the "Race Equality Impact Assessment for the Commission for Equality and Human Rights" at www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/publications/cehr–race–impass–jan2006.do. Other similar documents were published to accompany the Equality Bill and are available at the same location on the public WEU website.

Energy: Renewable

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to the consultation paper Our Energy Challenge what is the breakdown of the 2 per cent. of United Kingdom energy shown on page 17 as being supplied by renewables and others.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The breakdown of the "renewables and others" percentage is as follows:
	
		
			 Proportion of total inland consumption on a primary fuel basis Percentage 
			 Landfill gas 0.57 
			 Wastes such as municipal solid waste, 
			 general industrial waste, and hospital waste 
			  0.34 
			 Poultry litter, meat and bone, biomass, 
			 straw, farm waste and short rotation 
			 coppice 
			  0.32 
			 Electricity imports net of exports 0.27 
			 Wood and wood waste 0.20 
			 Hydro 0.18 
			 Sewage gas 0.08 
			 Wind and wave 0.07 
			 Geothermal and active solar heating 0.01 
			 Total 2.04 
		
	
	Source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics, 2005

House of Lords: Public Information

Lord Tyler: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	When it is planned to update The Work of the House of Lords on the parliamentary website, and in booklet form, to include material for 2005.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Work of the House of Lords booklet, which includes material for 2005, is expected to be published in the week beginning 27 March. It will be published at the same time on the parliamentary website.

House of Lords: Writing Room

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	When it is anticipated that the full use of the Writing Room on the Committee Corridor will be restored.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Part of the Writing Room on the Committee Corridor is currently being used to store books from the Library basement while the Refreshment Department works are carried out. It is expected that the Library basement should be ready for the return of the books from 30 June and that it will take at least a week to move them all.
	Both the House Committee and the Administration and Works Committee have agreed that, when the Lord Chancellor vacates his accommodation in the Palace, part of it should be used to provide a new writing room. This would enable the present Writing Room to be converted into a much-needed additional Committee Room. It is expected that this conversion will take place during the summer.

Mozambique

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are their foreign policy objectives towards Mozambique.

Lord Triesman: Mozambique is an increasingly successful and stable post-conflict country. But it remains at the lower end of human development indices, and is prone to flooding and other natural disasters. Our aim is to assist Mozambique to complete its democratic transition, while helping to lift its people out of poverty and supporting its efforts to become more resilient, through economic development and growth, to natural disasters. In support of this, Britain has become the leading bilateral donor—approximately £60 million per year—and the largest contributor of direct support to Mozambique's budget. We are also working with Mozambique and other partners in southern Africa and the Africa Union to address governance issues, for example in Zimbabwe; to secure peace, for example in the Great Lakes region; and to tackle conflict, for example in Sudan.

NHS: Contaminated Blood Products

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 27 February (WA 26), on what dates documents dealing with contaminated National Health Service blood products were destroyed in error in the early 1990s; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 27 February (WA 26), whether any action was taken after papers used in the HIV litigation were destroyed in error in the early 1990s to prevent further erroneous destruction in the future; and, if so, why that did not prevent the subsequent destruction of papers between July 1994 and March 1998; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 27 February (WA 26), whether papers relating to any other National Health Service policy areas were destroyed erroneously in the 1990s.

Lord Warner: The precise date of the destruction of documents on contaminated blood products in the early 1990s is not known.
	The Department of Health carried out a major awareness programme on records management in 1993 to 1995, producing new guidance and introducing a departmental records management audit programme. The subsequent introduction of electronic records management to the department has involved further improvements in guidance and support, emphasising the need for careful attention when managing records.
	The department has no evidence that records relating to National Health Service policy areas other than blood products were destroyed erroneously in the 1990s.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will develop a coherent response to the criticisms by non-nuclear, nearly nuclear and new nuclear powers that the original nuclear deterrent holders such as the United Kingdom, France and the People's Republic of China have not fulfilled their arsenal reduction obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty provisions.

Lord Triesman: We do not accept such criticisms. The UK considers the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to be the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and the framework for nuclear disarmament. We are fulfilling all our obligations under the NPT, including those on disarmament under Article VI of the treaty.
	The UK has significantly reduced its nuclear arsenal since the end of the Cold War. We have reduced the total explosive power of our nuclear forces by over 70 per cent and have fewer than 200 nuclear warheads operationally available at any one time. We have reduced our deterrent capacity to a single nuclear weapons system, Trident, after withdrawing and dismantling the RAF's freefall bomb in 1998. Only one Trident submarine is on deterrent patrol at any one time and that submarine is normally on several days' "notice to fire". Its missiles are de-targeted. The UK has observed a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1991 and, in 1998, we ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. In addition, we announced in 1995 that we had stopped the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, and we continually press for negotiations to begin on a fissile material cut-off treaty at the conference on disarmament in Geneva.

Obesity

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following reports that eight points are to be allocated in the new quality and outcomes framework for maintaining an obesity register, they plan to allocate any points in the general medical services contract to enable general practitioners to provide weight management advice and services; and
	How, having created an obesity disease register in the new quality and outcomes framework, they plan to use this register to manage and treat obese patients.

Lord Warner: The new quality and outcomes framework (QOF) for 2006–07 has been finalised, and includes an indicator which rewards practices for maintaining an obesity register. The recording of body mass index for the register will take place in the practice as part of routine care. It is expected that these data will inform public health measures. The QOF will be subject to a process of change and improvement over time as part of the negotiation process.

Obesity

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What initiatives, apart from the Department of Health's Obesity Care Pathway and tasking the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to produce obesity guidance by February 2007, are planned for 2006 which aim to tackle the rising levels of obesity in the United Kingdom population.

Lord Warner: Initiatives planned to tackle obesity for 2006 include the development of obesity social marketing approaches aimed at changing behaviour, the development of an obesity toolkit for primary care trusts (PCTs) and other key local partners, and national rollout of the healthy start scheme. In addition there will be the introduction of rules to restrict promotion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt to children by Ofcom and industry self-regulators and the introduction of signpost labelling to enable consumers to make healthier choices. The Department of Health has already issued guidance in January to PCTs on measuring children's height and weight in primary schools.
	The department has also commissioned the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to assess four commonly used methods to increase physical activity: brief interventions in primary care, pedometers, exercise referral schemes and community-based exercise programmes for walking and cycling. Further work to pilot the impact of pedometers in schools is being carried out through the "Schools on the Move" pilot, launched in October 2005.

Passports

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the circumstances in which a British passport may be withdrawn under the Government's prerogative powers remain the same as those stated in the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on 30 July 1998 (WA 238–39).

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Since the Question was answered, travel banning orders for football hooligans and travel restriction orders for drug offenders have been introduced. Passport applications from any person known to be subject to one of these orders would be refused, and the courts may order the confiscation of any passport already held while the order is in force. However, this is not an extension of the use of prerogative powers to withdraw passports.

Procurement: Social Inclusion

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any information on what each contracting authority is doing to achieve community cohesion and social inclusion through its procurement policies and practices; and, if so, whether they will make this information public.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: It is for each contracting authority to decide how it will achieve social inclusion and community cohesion through its procurement policies and procedures, taking into account the relevance of these factors to the particular contract, the Government's value for money policy, the EU procurement rules and its own objectives.
	The Treasury does not hold information on other contracting authorities' work on achieving community cohesion and social inclusion through procurement.
	Public procurement is often seen as a way to advance economic, social and environmental policy objectives. The Office of Government Commerce is working with a range of departments across government, providing advice and guidance on how to incorporate these policy objectives into the procurement process in a way that is consistent with the legal and policy framework governing public procurement. In particular, OGC has recently published a note on social issues in purchasing that provides guidance on how a range of social issues can be taken into account in the procurement process.
	The National Procurement Strategy for Local Government, produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), includes strategic objectives for stimulating markets and achieving community benefits through procurement.

Regional Development Agency

Lord Smith of Clifton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the total cost per year of each regional development agency in England since their inception.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I refer the noble Lord to the reply given on 19 October 2005 (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 1062W), which provides the expenditure of the regional development agencies and their administration costs for the financial years 1999–2000 to 2004–05 and plans for 2005–06.

Schools: Free Meals

Lord Smith of Leigh: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the performance of pupils receiving free school meals compares in different types of schools.

Lord Adonis: The information requested on the results of pupils in receipt of free school meals 1 in 2005 can be found below.
	
		Percentage of pupils achieving level 4 plus at key stage 2 in maintained schools, 2004–05
		
			   English Maths Science 
			  FSM Total FSM Total FSM Total 
			 Maintained 
			 mainstream 62 79 58 75 74 87 
			 Special 3 3 4 3 9 9 
			 Total 60 79 57 75 72 86 
		
	
	
		GCSE and equivalent results of pupils at the end of key stage 42 in maintained schools, 2004-05
		
			  Number of pupils Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C 
			  FSM Total FSM Total 
			 Comprehensive(3) 72,883 526,030 31.1 54.5 
			 Selective 449 22,284 92.4 98.0 
			 Modern 3,061 26,463 26.7 45.9 
			 Other maintained(4) 3,446 9,482 0.2 0.3 
			 Total 79,839 584,259 29.9 54.9 
		
	
	1 Derived from pupil level annual school census returns provided in January 2005
	2 Number of pupils on roll at the end of key stage 4.
	3 Including city technology colleges and academies.
	4 Including community and foundation special schools.
	The Education Bill seeks to continue to raise standards for all and to reduce the gap between those on free school meals and other pupils.

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What requests have been made by the United Nations Security Council for the provision of additional financial and logistical resources to the African Union force in Darfur; to which member states these requests were made; and what further measures they will propose to persuade the Sudanese Government to comply with previous Security Council resolutions.

Lord Triesman: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has not made any individual requests to member states, but UNSC Resolutions 1556, 1564 and 1574 have all urged,
	"Member States to provide the required equipment, logistical, financial, material, and other necessary resources,"
	to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). The UN Secretary-General has also requested the United Kingdom to provide additional financial support to AMIS. The UK is one of the main contributors to AMIS: last year it made available some £19 million in bilateral aid, as well as providing a significant amount of financial support and technical assistance through the EU. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development announced on 21 February that a further £20 million would be made available to AMIS in the next financial year.
	There are ongoing discussions among member states and within the Security Council on various measures, which can be taken to encourage all relevant parties within Sudan to comply with obligations set out in previous Security Council resolutions. The Government continue to support the Darfur peace talks in Abuja. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary visited the talks on 14 February. He met African Union (AU) chief mediator, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, to express the UK's continued strong support for the AU mediation team. At the AU's request he also addressed representatives of the parties in a plenary and announced a package of £1.25 million in support of the talks. We maintain an observer presence at the talks in support of the mediation.

Taxation: Inheritance Tax

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For the latest year for which figures are available, what assessment they have made of the cost of providing relief for inheritance tax purposes for shares traded on (a) the Alternative Investment Market; and (b) the Ofex market.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The information requested is not available. HMRC does not hold information on the split by market of traded unquoted shares. Estimates of the total cost of business property relief are published in Table 1.5 www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax–expenditures/1–5–dec05.xls.

Taxation: Tax Credits

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McKenzie of Luton on 8 February (WA 112), whether they collect data which will enable an assessment of the number of individuals paying income tax and also receiving positive tax credits awards.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: It is possible to match a family's tax credit information with information about family members' income tax liabilities; however, producing an estimate of the number of income tax payers receiving tax credits would be possible only at disproportionate cost.

Young Offenders: Healthcare

Baroness Stern: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements have been made by the appropriate primary healthcare trust for healthcare provision in HM Feltham young offenders' institution.

Lord Warner: Hounslow Primary Care Trust (PCT), the body responsible for commissioning healthcare provision for Her Majesty's Feltham young offenders institution, is halfway through a three-year plan to improve healthcare at the institution. As part of this programme, the PCT recently undertook a competitive tender for the provision of primary care services at the institution. The contract for this has been awarded to SERCO for the next three years.
	Mental health services are provided by the Adolescent Forensic Directorate of West London Mental Health Trust.